


The Laundry Affair

by TeddyTR



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Fluff and Crack, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-30
Updated: 2011-01-30
Packaged: 2017-11-28 04:50:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,434
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/670464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeddyTR/pseuds/TeddyTR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin makes a mistake. The victim is Arthur's clothing. One shot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Laundry Affair

„No, Gaius, you don’t understand. I _really_ went too far this time.”

 

„Merlin, you and Arthur always play pranks on each other. It can’t be that serious. Why don’t you tell me what you did?”

 

„No! You’d better not get mixed up in this. This… this will be fatal.”

 

Gaius rolled his eyes at an almost terrified Merlin. The boy came back last night fuming because Arthur did or said something, Gaius couldn’t really understand, as he was always several steps behind the prince and his manservant when it came to their ’game’ with each other. It was, indeed, a remarkable relationship, absolutely incomprehensible for an outsider. Well, at least it was for the physician. But one thing he knew for sure. Arthur could never be really angry at Merlin and vice versa.  So whatever Merlin did to take revenge, it would end like always, apologies and smiles, continuing this game forever. However Merlin seemed like he didn’t share Gaius’s opinion.

 

„You are just making a big fuss about it.”

 

Merlin opened his mouth to answer, but someone knocked on the door and a servant boy stepped into the room.

 

„I’m sorry, but Prince Arthur sent me for his manservant,” he said sheepishly. Merlin turned paler than he usually was, which is a hard task to do.

 

„Is he angry?” he asked from the boy, who looked puzzled.

 

„I...I don’t think so, the Prince was quite calm.”

 

Merlin made a face and was clearly unconvinced. Really, how could these people, who met with him every day, did not know this much about Arthur. If he was ’calm’ then there’s going to be a massacre at least.

 

„Time to face it then,” he said and stood like he was going to his execution. Gaius sighed.

 

„Good luck.”

 

Merlin looked back once more and he was on his way.

 

***

 

„H-hello,” said Merlin in a weak voice, stepping in the prince’s chamber. Arthur was standing in front of his wardrobe, his back on Merlin, wearing only his sleeping trousers.

 

„Well, hello, Merlin. I hope you had a nice morning,” Merlin gulped at the too nice tone of his master „because it was your last, unless you have a good explanation for _this_.” Arthur finally turned to him, his hands full of his clothes. First, Merlin almost laughed out loud, he didn’t imagine it would turn out this good, but his good mood vanished as he looked in Arhtur’s eyes. Really, it’s not the time for laughing.

 

„Tha-that’s, well, yesterday I, I was doing the chores you gave me. And I realised your clothes needed washing and I, kind of coincidentally put them together with some of the maids laundry and-„

 

„ _Kind of_ coincidentally?” interrupted Arthur.

 

„Yes, no, I mean-„

 

„So you _kind of_ coincidentally washed _all_ of my clothes together with some _rag_?”

 

„Ye-yes, and the colour, you know, it mixed and-„

 

„I can see that. And _of course_ it’s just another coincidence that this particular colour came up as a result, isn’t it?”

 

Merlin closed his eyes. There wasn’t anything believable he could think of, so he just blurted it out.

 

„Well, I thought that it was already too late anyway so why not, erm, refresh your style.”

 

„Refresh?! Is it your revenge because I shouted at you yesterday?”

 

„You think something like this could satisfy me while I have to put up with Your Pratness every single day?” The answer was yes, but of course Merlin would never admit how satisfied he was.

 

„Really? You think it’s hard on you? You have no idea, since you are the most useless manservant of all times! You never do anything right and when you finally decide to do some of your job, it turns out like this!” Arthur shook the clothes in his hands at Merlin.

 

„Hah, you say that, but you like me anyway!” Merlin bit his lips too late. He said something he shouldn’t. Of course it was true, and of course they both knew it, but there was a silent agreement between the two, that they just would not say these things out loud. Merlin knew he crossed a dangerous line, embarrassing the prince was the worst thing he could have done.

 

„You think so?” said Arthur very slowly; narrowing his eyes, trying to look strict, but his slight blush gave him away.

 

„You know what, you’re right. And I like you so much, I want you to have these.” He started throwing his clothes at Merlin.

 

„And I _strongly hope_ you will wear them. You would never hurt my feelings, would you?”

 

This was the only way out for Merlin.

 

„O-of course not.”

 

„Then pick it up and go. Fetch me new clothes _after_ you’ve changed.”

 

„Yes, sire.” Merlin was almost out of the room, nearly happy that he got away with only this, when Arthur shouted after him.

 

„And you will attend today’s meeting to serve wine to me, the king and the landlords. Gwen and Morgana will be there too, and some other maids and-„

 

„Okay, I get it!” So much for ’getting away with it’.

 

***

„Father, before we get on to the next point, why don’t we offer our guests Camelot’s famous wine?”

 

„Great idea, Arthur.”

 

„Merlin!” 

 

Merlin frowned. He managed to hide behind a column before the meeting started and he thought maybe Arthur forgot and maybe he would be spared. He thought wrong. As he moved to the eyesight of everyone, he tried not to look at anyone, but he could still feel their reaction. The king and the landlords were staring at him confused, Gwen almost dropped the bottle she was holding and Morgana giggled quite loudly. Uther turned to his son.

 

„Arthur, what is the meaning of this?”

 

„It’s nothing father. The maids heard about a new fashion wave and were so eager to try it out, so I let them experiment on Merlin,” Arthur said confidently, obviously, he was thinking about a good explanation the whole day.

 

„I see. Well, it’s…”

 

„Pretty isn’t it? Now, our landlords can see that we keep up with other countries not just at the fields of military and science. I’m sure our servants and citizens will like it too. You like it a lot, don’t you, _Mer_ lin?”

 

„Of course, sire,” his manservant said in an indifferent voice.

 

„Hm, anyway let’s move on.”

 

For once, Merlin was grateful to Uther.

 

***

„This meeting wasn’t as boring as always.”

 

„I’m happy you feel right, sire.”

 

„Come on, don’t sulk.”

 

„Why would I? There’s nothing to sulk about.”

 

„Merlin, you’re such a baby. You can come in your own clothes tomorrow.”

 

„You’re too good to me, sire.”

 

„Cut it already!” To emphasize his words, Arthur threw a pillow at Merlin, who was busy making the prince’s bed for the night. As an answer, Merlin pressed his lips together, clearly pushing his irritation back. Arthur couldn’t help himself, but think how adorable his manservant was when sulking. This was one of his main reasons for teasing him.

 

„Come on, you can’t say it wasn’t funny!”

 

Merlin looked up at him, face still angry, but Arthur saw the playfulness returning in his eyes. He knew he had won this one.

 

„You saw my father’s face? That was priceless.”

 

Finally, Merlin smiled.

 

„Yeah, I guess you’re right. It’s incredible that you can say insane things like that and he believes you. Really, Arthur, the maids? A new fashion wave? You can do better than this.”

 

„Yeah-yeah, but perfection needs time, you know.”

 

„Then you were made in haste.”

 

„If I were in those clothes, I would shut my mouth, _Mer_ lin. But I have to admit, the colour fits you quite well.”

 

Merlin’s chilly retort stuck in his throat, because Arthur looked like he wasn’t joking with that last sentence. He just stared at the prince, who, once again, blushed.

 

„What? It’s true. Maybe I should let you wear it more.”

 

„Okay, enough Arthur, go to bed.”

 

„Yes sir.”

 

„Good night.”

 

„Merlin?”

 

„Yes?”

 

„Are you the tooth fairy?”

 

„Argh!”

 

***

Merlin put the big bucket of clothes near the fireplace. He thought the best will be if they use them as ‘firewood’. He turned his back on them. _„Pretty isn’t it? The colour fits you quite well.”_ Merlin shook his head, but he ended up somehow saving a tunic from the bucket. It was one of Arthur’s favorites. Merlin folded the now, thanks to him, shiny pink piece of clothing and gently put it in the hole on the floor where he stored his most precious items. He smiled at it before closing the delve.

 

 


End file.
